Wallingford Public Access Association, Inc. d/b/a/ WPAA-TV and Community Media Center is more than a public-access community TV channel. #MoreThanTV includes being home to the Nelson ‘Carty’ Ford Memorial Gallery among other art and culture endeavors. Our re-adapted cow-barn is a community place for convening: Democracy Is A Creative Practice. As a host, there is theater, film, performance, and the telling of stories. Uplifting local voices is central to our mission. We collaborate with other nonprofits in support of community well-being. Our Pledge: To provide a brave, safe, creative space for a diversity of expression within our community and beyond. Join us. Discover what you did not know you needed. commUnity begins with ‘U’!
Transitioning to grassroots support is a vital next step for our future. A small donation once a year during #greatgive06492: Predictable. Matched. Sustaining. As little as $5, from hundreds of friends, once a year, is our lifeline. If you can do more, consider our new studioW Advocacy Fund.
#GreatGive06492 May 7-8: Matched
Enjoy the Be The Seed Performance, on May 6th at 7 pm online or in person as we celebrate coming together for Wallingford.
GreatGive06492 is an annual, mid-year fundraising event that brings Wallingford nonprofits together to elevate relationships with collaboration. We encourage gifts as little as $5 during this Greater New Haven ‘BE-THE-SEED’ Giving Day. All nonprofits are eligible for matches and prizes based on the number of donors. (This ‘button’ is active during the campaign.)
PayPal Anytime
Gifts are welcome any time. WPAA-TV is registered with PayPal Giving Fund, a ‘no-fee’ way to donate. Use to Button above, or the QR Code, to give. Please consider including your email when you process this gift so we can stay in touch. We always have things to share with you.
SHOP TO SUPPORT LOCAL
Over 2,000 iGive stores provide discounts to you. Our award-winning TeenTigerTV Youth program gets a small % of the purchase price
Good for the Earth & Good for Us. TruEarth products require a lifestyle change. A minimum of 20% of purchase price supports TeenTigerTV.
We recommend a once-a-year purchase of 384 planet-friendly laundry strips when you can save too.
We notify our social media followers of sales. Follow.
MADE POSSIBLE BY ‘WE THE PEOPLE’ | Our Volunteers
The largest contribution to our fiscal health | Cost reduction through volunteer support
Volunteers provide 100% of the administrative support and 50% of media production support. Local talent renovated our building and continues to maintain it. Since 2010, the contributions of volunteers have exceeded funds received from Cable Access subscriber fees. And then there is the priceless gift of community producers and their guests, contributing artists, and our greeter RayRay. We R U.
Cable Fees – An uncertain source of Income from declining subscriber cable viewership ($8.44 annually per subscriber*)
WPAA-TV is funded, in large part, with funds assessed upon cable TV companies. This funding source is in decline. It is complicated. Unfortunately, Wallingford has the lowest per-subscriber fee in the state. The fee for use of public rights of way is determined by Federal and State legislation. The fee is more like a lease payment than a tax. Fees are passed through to designated entities referred to as Cable Access Providers (CAP). Wallingford Public Access Association is Wallingford’s CAP.
*Wallingford subscriber fees subsidize the communities of No. Haven, No. Branford, Madison, and Guilford. This subsidy was to be modified or concluded in 2012. Wallingford town leaders chose not to support the retention of Wallingford fees for Wallingford customers. Former Senator Len Fasano and Rep. Vincent Candelora support the transfer of funds to their communities. In 2010 WPAA-TV unsuccessfully pursued restoration of funds in PURA Docket 10-03-02. Since the intended sunset date, over $250,000, more than the purchase price of our building has been siphoned by a nonpublic recalculation of fee allocation. Roughly, $20,000 annually.
As a giveGreater.org participant and CANDID participant, there is full public transparency on financials, policies, and regulatory compliance.
WPAA-TV is noncommercial therefore Underwriting is messy.
The governance team wants to ensure that there is no perception of affiliation with any monetary or political influence therefore we do not seek subsidies from businesses. Unlike many nonprofits, we pay local businesses for food & services. We provide services to any Wallingford-affiliated business on a first-come, first-serve basis. They are welcome to subsidize the costs specific to the support we provide. So, unserwriting is messy because it infers bias.